BRAVEN has come out with their new Bluetooth speaker, the BRAVEN 710. Powered by a built-in 1400mAh battery (up to 12 hours of continuous playback time) this portable wireless speaker is equipped with an aircraft grade aluminum exterior (IPX5 water resistance), a built-in microphone for hands-free calls, NFC pairing function, a 3.5mm stereo mini jack and is compatible with Bluetooth enabled devices. The BRAVEN 710 is priced at $169.99. [Product Page]
Watch out, Jawbone; looks like Braven's continuing its assault against the Big Jambox by releasing another comparable Bluetooth speaker... but this time, it can get wet and take some bruises. Similar to its predecessor, the 850, model 855s is a 20W speaker encased in aluminum and can charge smartphones, tablets and cameras. It even has the same dimensions (10 x 4 inches) and can play tunes for up to 20 hours, or so the company claims. The new speaker costs $300, just like the 850, so choosing between the two depends on whether you want a rugged version or not. As a nice touch, you can pair the 855s with its predecessor for true stereo sound; just be sure to remember which one doesn't like water if you go that route.
Source: Braven
With so many Bluetooth speakers flooding the market, it’s getting harder and harder to decide which one to buy. Well, I’ve been test-driving one for the past few days that I definitely think should be in the running. The Braven BRV-1 is a compact, rugged-looking Bluetooth speaker that I definitely would consider keeping in my backpack from now on.
While it measures just 5″(w) x 3.25″ (d) x 2.5″ (h), and weighs just over 12 ounces, this compact speaker really does offers big sound in a small package. As I write this, I currently have it streaming tunes from my iPhone about 12 feet away, and it’s filling my 400 square-foot living room/office with sound.
The speaker is nicely designed, with a rubberized case which provides easy access to the volume controls (which also control tracks if you hold them down longer), power switch and a play/pause button which doubles as a pairing button for Bluetooth and for accepting and hanging up on calls. Its only metal bit is its speaker grille, which comes in either black or blue.
Braven packed the BRV-1 with two full-range speakers, and a passive subwoofer, powered by a total of 6 watts of class-D amplification. This gives it plenty of oomph, despite its size. In my playback experience, I found minimal distortion at even the highest volume levels, and a clean, ear pleasing sound with plenty of low-end for a box this small. Sure, its bass won’t substitute for a powered subwoofer, but it’s as good as many bookshelf systems I’ve used over the years.
In addition to its music playback chops, the BRV-1 functions as a speakerphone for your Bluetooth smartphone. I didn’t find audio quality to be particularly thrilling during calls, but that’s more likely a limitation of the phone networks than the speaker itself. I was also able to use it to control Siri with my phone sitting on the other side of the room.
On the back of the BRV-1, you’ll find a twist-off protective cover which conceals access to its microUSB charging connector, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a full-size USB connector which can be used to syphon off some power to your other gadgets in a pinch. It won’t charge an iPad, but it’s more than fine for helping out your dying smartphone. Speaking of battery life, I was able to get slightly more than the quoted 12 hours of power from a single 3 hour charge. There’s also an on-demand battery indicator hidden beneath that cap so you can see about how much power you have left (in 20% increments).
If you’re wondering about that twist-off cover, that’s because the BRV-1 is IPX5 rated water-resistant, and sealed well enough to take to the beach, poolside, or even in a rainstorm. That said, it’s not designed to be submerged, and despite its rugged looks and shock absorbent design, I wouldn’t intentionally toss it around more than you have to.
Overall, the BRV-1 is a very impressive little speaker, and it will be taking up residence in my travel bag. If I have any complaints at all, it’s that I’d prefer that it supported AirPlay in addition to Bluetooth, and that there was some sort of tether attaching the back cap so you don’t risk losing it. But those are minor issues, and the excellent sound quality, portability and rugged good looks are more than enough to win me over.
The Braven BRV-1 retails for $179.99(USD), and is available now.
Disclosure: Braven provided speaker for review in this article. However, all reviews are the unbiased views of our editorial staff, and we will only recommend products or services we have used personally, and believe will be good for our readers.
It's no secret that we generally enjoy Braven's pushes into the portable Bluetooth speaker arena. The company is again aiming to take your dollars away from the likes of the Jawbone Jamboxes, offering up two new units for CES. The 850 is it's largest speaker yet, being roughly the same size as Big Jambox -- and priced much the same at $300. As you'd expect, the 850 is clad in aluminum, and has a USB port for charging external devices. That's not all, however, as Braven claims this is the worlds first battery-powered speaker that'll charge 2.1A gimzos (like the iPad) on its own accord (no word on expected battery life). Even more impressive -- and expensive -- we're told that two units can be run in true stereo with either serving as the left and right channels. No pictures for now, but we'll update this post as soon as we get them.
Aside from the 850, the $170 BRV-1 (dummy units pictured) ditches the company's smooth rectangular speaker angles, in favor of ruggedness and IPX5 water-resistance. The not-so pocketable speaker is clad in rubber, featuring two large buttons on both edges for playback controls. The speaker grill on the front get's Braven's usual treatment with aluminium, while the back houses twist-cap protected microUSB port, USB port, battery indicator and a 3.5mm input jack. Both speakers are set to site along its Six Series units sometime this month, and you'll find more pictures of two BRV-1 mockups in the gallery below.
Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio/Video
With its sleek styling and double act as a portable USB charger, there's plenty to like about Braven's line of Bluetooth speakers. Indeed, we listed the 625 in our back to school guide earlier this year as an alternative to the pricier Jambox. But if you were hoping to snag something even cheaper, you might want to check out the Braven 570, which is set to debut this Sunday on QVC for $100. Similar in looks with its Six Series brethren, the tiny music machine has six watts of power and a slightly lower capacity 1,200mAh battery -- the previous models were 1,700mAh and up -- all wrapped in an "impact-resistant" material. QVC will be offering the Braven 570 in Lunar Black, Arctic White, Fiji Green, Rio Purple, Monaco Blue and Sahara Red. But if you'd rather subject yourself to mall crowds or prefer the Zen-like experience of online shopping, you can get the retail version in black or white this coming January for $130 each. If you decide to go the QVC route, just don't get suckered in by overpriced celebrity steak knives, okay?
Continue reading Braven's budget-friendly Bluetooth speaker to debut on QVC for $100
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video
Source: Braven
Bluetooth speakers are getting quite common, but it’s only when you use one yourself that you realize how useful they can be, especially if they are multi-functional. The Braven 625s is the company’s rugged version, and I decided that it should be able to survive my backpack, so when I was offered a choice for a model to review, I decided on this one.
First of all, the box it came in was frustratingly hard to open, even with the instructions on how to open it. This is the first mistake. Why do you need instructions on how to open a box? Anyway, after about 5 minutes of grunting, I was finally able to open it up, though not before I thought about taking some power tools to it. The speaker is nicely made, but immediately I noticed something odd. There was a rattling coming from inside the device. It sounded like a screw had come loose. It hasn’t hampered the device’s functions, but if I had paid for this unit, I would have immediately returned it.
The speaker itself is easy to set up, but the myriad of buttons located on both sides make it a bit counterintuitive. You need to switch it on and press the phone button to pair it with your device.
Once it’s paired, it takes but a couple of seconds for the speaker to recognize your device. Once connected, the sound is surprisingly good, especially for a small portable speaker. There is even a bit of bass coming out of the back, and the dual 3-watt-per-channel drivers provide ample sound.
What makes this speaker different from some of the other ones that I’ve seen is that it comes with some interesting add-ons. It can function as an external battery, and while it won’t charge your iPad, it will provide emergency charging for your iPhone. The 1700 mAh battery will charge up most smaller devices and it’s a nice option to have if you lug it around. The battery is supposed to deliver 16 hours of autonomy. It’s close to this number, but if you use it to charge up your devices, you’ll use it up your juice a lot quicker. There’s also a USB light attachment that will turn the speaker into a (rather bulky) flashlight. It definitely comes in handy if you use your speaker in the dark. The whole thing comes in a water-resistant bag, and includes a 40″ long USB-to micro-USB cable for charging and a 3.5mm cable for connecting audio devices without Bluetooth.
Ultimately, I like this little speaker. For its sound quality, it’s not that expensive; it functions well and the additional features make it somewhat unique. What I didn’t like was the box it came in. No device should be this difficult to get out of a plastic box. Also, the rattling is disturbing. I’m hoping that this was a fault of the single device that I tried, but it does speak to quality control.
The Braven 625s sells for $179.99(USD) directly from Braven.
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we're taking our audio with us -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here!
With all of the studying and on-campus traveling you're about to delve into, sometimes adding a bit of music to your step can spice up those mundane times in your daily routine. That's why we've rounded up a selection of portable speakers and headphones that'll not only help you rock out whenever the mood strikes, but also go a step further by letting you take phone calls without skipping a beat. It may not be audiophile-grade gear in the official sense, but it won't matter when you're enjoying good sound just about anywhere your smartphone-connected life takes you.
Continue reading Engadget's back to school guide 2012: portable audio
Filed under: Wearables
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: portable audio originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jawbone's Jamboxes may be the first gizmos that jump to mind if you're searching for wireless, on-the-go speakers, but they're not the only options out there. An outfit by the name of Braven has been teasing its own Bluetooth-enabled Six Series stereo noiseyboxes since April, and now it's officially ready to ship them off. Aside from pumping out wire-free audio, each unit can be used as a portable USB charger for your various gadgets. You'll have a choice between the aluminum-encased 600 ($150) and 650 ($190) models, while the 625 ($180) variant features a ruggedized, shock-absorbing enclosure and a water-proof bag for the more adventurous of you out there. You'll get anywhere from 12-20 hours of charging depending on the model, but each features the same internal setup for sound: two three-watt speakers paired with a dual passive bass radiator. You'll find more details on the specs of each model and your color options in the press release after the break.
Braven Six Series Bluetooth speakers now shipping, three choices for on-the-go audio, USB charging originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Jun 2012 02:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Remember those Braven speakers from a few weeks back? Well, guess what, the trio made an appearance here at CTIA and we finally got to put our shaky, caffeine-fueled hands on them. The Six Series of Bluetooth boxes is (going from left to right in the image above) the 600, the 650 and the 625s. Both the 600 and 650 are crafted from the same aircraft-grade aluminum and are all but indistinguishable at a glance. The lone physical differentiator is the numerical labeling in the bottom right corner. Both have a pleasant heft and a matte finish that makes them feel like decidedly high-end products. And, at $150 and $190 respectively, they're priced that way too. The 3W speakers and dual passive subwoofers were perfectly pleasant sounding and got surprisingly loud -- drowning out the crowded showroom floor with relative ease. The only issue, predictively, was that the low end started to distort as the volume was cranked -- particularly on the 600. We were even able to daisy chain them through a mini stereo cable (though not turn them into a stereo pair via Bluetooth), clearly irritating Braven's booth neighbors.
The 625s is a slightly different beast. It also features an aluminum speaker grille, but the rest of the casing is wrapped in shock-absorbing rubber. It felt quite a bit lighter, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, since the company appears to think you should use this as a flashlight (hence the LED attachment). The unit even has a drybag should you decide to take it with you kayaking. We were even able to jack our iPhone in to the USB port for a bit of juice before heading back out on the floor. For more check out the gallery below.
Joseph Volpe contributed to this report
Braven Six Series hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsIf you’ve ever wanted to connect a bunch of Bluetooth speakers for a bigger sound, then check out these ones from Braven. The new series of Brave Six speakers can be plugged into each other, so that they work together from one audio source.
The speakers each have a power of 3W, a small passive subwoofer, a full duplex microphone and a USB port. There are 3.5mm audio jacks going in and out for daisy-chaining.
The Braven 600 costs $149(USD) and lasts 14 hours. The Braven 625s costs $179.99, lasts 16 hours and has a shock-absorbing aluminum grille. It also comes with a waterproof bag and a USB flashlight. The Braven 650 costs $189.99, lasts 20 hours, and has aptX and AAC encoding.
The speakers can be pre-ordered from Braven site and will start shipping in June.
[via The Verge]
